A Libyan appeals court has sentenced an employee of Al-Jumhouria Bank’s Al-Qadisiyah branch to seven years in prison after finding him guilty of embezzling 8.255 million dinars. The Tripoli Court of Appeal ordered the defendant to repay the full amount and imposed an additional fine of 16.521 million dinars. The ruling also included an eight-year deprivation of civil rights, underscoring the severity of the offence and the judiciary’s attempt to curb financial misconduct in the banking sector.
According to a statement issued by the Attorney General’s Office, the case exposed significant internal failings at the branch, enabling the main defendant to misappropriate funds over an extended period. The court’s decision reflects growing pressure on Libyan financial institutions to tighten oversight as authorities confront recurring fraud and corruption cases.
The ruling also targeted other individuals implicated in the scheme. A second defendant received a one-year prison sentence for forging unofficial documents used in the embezzlement operation. Prosecutors said the forged papers played a central role in facilitating the movement and concealment of funds.
Four additional bank employees were convicted of dereliction of duty for failing to apply essential control procedures at the branch. Their negligence, according to the court, directly enabled the main defendant to access and divert the funds. Each of the four was sentenced to one year in prison, although the court ordered the suspension of these sentences for a period of five years, citing their secondary role in the case.
The judgment marks another high-profile financial crime ruling in Libya, where regulators and judicial bodies continue to highlight systemic weaknesses in banking oversight. Authorities say strengthening accountability in financial institutions remains essential to restoring public confidence, especially as economic pressures and political fragmentation continue to challenge institutional stability.
